Vote from the USA in Guatemala's 2027 Elections — TSE Procedure (2026 Guide)

Guatemalans living in the United States can vote in Guatemala’s national elections from polling stations operated at Guatemalan consulates and other approved sites — but only for the presidential and vice-presidential ballot. Voting for diputados al Congreso, diputados al Parlacén, alcaldes, and corporaciones municipales is constitutionally limited to in-country voters. This guide walks the procedure under the current 2026 framework, including the significant changes introduced by TSE Acuerdo 59-2026 ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Honest note on deadlines: Both TSE portals (migrante.tse.org.gt, votoenelextranjero.tse.org.gt) are currently in mantenimiento as TSE rebuilds them ahead of the 2027 elections. The 2027 registration deadline is not yet published. This guide explains the procedure as captured from TSE communiqués, the Acuerdo 59-2026 reform, and the 2023 baseline. Exact 2027 deadlines will be added when TSE relaunches the portals.

What you can vote for from abroad

[GAP — confirm 2027 ballot scope when TSE formally publishes the 2027 electoral calendar. The expansion of voto en el extranjero to other offices would require constitutional or Ley Electoral reform, which has not been enacted as of 2026-05-15.]

The 2027 framework: what Acuerdo 59-2026 changed

TSE Acuerdo 59-2026, announced jointly with MINEX in April 2026, modifies the reglamento del voto en el extranjero with three main changes ahead of the 2027 elections (source: Infobae 2026-04-23 reporting on the TSE/MINEX joint announcement):

1. Passport now accepted for empadronamiento and voting. Previously, only the DPI was valid identification. Now a valid Guatemalan pasaporte with CUI is accepted. This directly addresses the 75,000+ uncollected DPIs sitting at US consulates — consulate-hour constraints conflict with migrant work schedules, and passports are easier to renew than DPIs for many diaspora Guatemalans.
2. Voting at any approved polling station in the country of residence. In 2023, you had to vote at the polling station tied to the consulate covering your state. In 2027, you can vote at any approved station in the USA. (Final list of approved cities pending TSE publication.)
3. Electronic voting options reportedly under consideration. Press coverage references electronic voting being on the table for 2027 — but TSE has not published technical specifications or eligible categories. [GAP — verify when TSE publishes the technical reglamento for electronic voting.]

Documents you need

You need one of:

• Valid DPI (Documento Personal de Identificación). Issued in Guatemala or at a Guatemalan consulate in the USA. Source: RENAP voting requirements page (renap.gob.gt/noticias/para-votar-el-dpi-debes-presentar).
• Valid Guatemalan passport with CUI (new under Acuerdo 59-2026). The CUI must be visible — first-time-emitted passports for adults already include the CUI.

Plus:

• Empadronamiento completed. Automatic at age 18 with first DPI since 2016. If you were never empadronado, do it before the registration deadline.
• Address updated to your current US address via the TSE portal before the registration deadline. If your address on file is still in Guatemala, you cannot vote abroad — only at your original municipio in Guatemala on election day.

Costs

The voting procedure itself is free. Costs you incur are upstream (getting/renewing your DPI or passport so you have valid ID).

Timeline

The 2023 baseline was a 3-month gap between registration close and first round. For 2027, plan to register or update your address by March 2027 — but watch for the TSE confirmation when portals relaunch.

Where to vote in the USA

In 2023, TSE operated 33 polling stations across 15 US cities, with 5 anchor consular sites initially announced:

• Los Angeles, CA
• Dallas, TX
• Raleigh, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Atlanta, GA

Subsequent expansion added stations in additional consular cities. The complete 2023 list and 2027 list are not yet republished by TSE. Source for 2023 baseline: prensa.gob.gt + prensalibre.com (governmental communiqué + press, cross-referenced).

Under Acuerdo 59-2026, you can vote at any approved station in your country of residence in 2027 — not just the one tied to your consulate. Practical effect: if you live in Dallas but happen to be in New York on election day, you should be able to vote there. [GAP — confirm operational details when TSE publishes the 2027 reglamento implementation.]

For state-by-state lookup of the consulate that serves you, see the consulate finder.

Step-by-step

1. Confirm your identification is valid

• If you have a DPI: check the expiration date. If expired or expiring before the 2027 election, renew or replace at your consulate. See DPI from USA and replace lost DPI from USA.
• If you only have a Guatemalan passport (under the new Acuerdo 59-2026 path), confirm it has CUI and is valid through August 2027 (covering both rounds).

2. Wait for TSE to relaunch the portal

Once migrante.tse.org.gt or votoenelextranjero.tse.org.gt is live, register or update your residence to your current US address. [GAP — exact relaunch date pending.]

3. Verify your empadronamiento and address

The portal will let you confirm:

• You are empadronado/a.
• Your registered residence is your current US address (this is what determines whether you vote abroad vs in-country).

4. Watch for the polling-station list

Once TSE publishes the 2027 list of approved US polling stations, identify the most convenient one for your election-day plans.

5. Vote on election day

Bring your valid Guatemalan DPI (or passport with CUI under the new framework). The polling station verifies your registration and issues the ballot. You vote for President + Vice President only.

6. Second round if needed

If no candidate wins outright in the first round (50% + 1), a runoff is held in August 2027. Same procedure — same registration, same polling stations.

Common pitfalls

• Never updated your residence after migrating. You are still registered at your original Guatemalan municipio and cannot vote abroad. Fix this before the registration deadline.
• DPI expired and not yet replaced. Until Acuerdo 59-2026 fully takes effect, an expired DPI is a hard stop. Even with the passport pathway, expect TSE to enforce strict ID validity at the polling station.
• Confusing voto en el extranjero with full ballot. Many first-time abroad voters expect to vote for diputados, alcaldes, or local races. Only the presidential ballot is available. The other races on the same day’s calendar are reserved for in-country voters.
• 75,000+ uncollected DPIs at US consulates. TSE cited this as the core justification for the 2026 reform. If your DPI was processed and is sitting uncollected at the consulate, call your consulate to schedule pickup — collected DPIs are valid for voting; uncollected ones are not.
• Voting day = Sunday + work shift. Many diaspora voters in 2023 reported being unable to take time off to drive to the polling station. Plan ahead — Acuerdo 59-2026’s any-station rule helps if you can travel to a closer city the day before.

What if I’m a dual US-Guatemala citizen?

Guatemala’s constitutional framework (Articles 144-145) and the irrenunciability clause of Decreto 86-96 mean that a person born Guatemalan does not lose Guatemalan citizenship by naturalizing in the USA. From Guatemala’s side, you remain Guatemalan and retain voting rights. From the US side, voting in a foreign election is not an automatic loss of US citizenship — the US State Department’s dual nationality page explicitly confirms the US takes no position on the retention of either citizenship when both exist.

See our dual citizenship guide for the full bilateral framework.

Sources & resources

• TSE — Acuerdo 59-2026 (reglamento del voto en el extranjero, 2026 reform): captured via press coverage at Infobae (2026-04-23), Centra News, and Prensa Libre. [GAP — direct TSE link pending portal relaunch.]
• TSE 2023 polling stations: https://www.tse.org.gt/comunicacion/noticias/tse-habilita-mas-de-3-mil-400-centros-de-votacion-para-las-elecciones-generales (accessed 2026-05-15)
• Government communiqué on 5 US consular polling cities: https://prensa.gob.gt/comunicado/cinco-sedes-consulares-de-guatemala-en-ee-uu-seran-centros-de-votacion-para-las (captured via search; direct fetch returned 503)
• RENAP — DPI required for voting: https://www.renap.gob.gt/noticias/para-votar-el-dpi-debes-presentar (accessed 2026-05-15)
• TSE migrante portal (currently in mantenimiento): https://migrante.tse.org.gt/
• TSE voto extranjero portal (currently in mantenimiento): https://votoenelextranjero.tse.org.gt/
• Infobae 2026-04-23 — Acuerdo 59-2026 coverage: https://www.infobae.com/guatemala/2026/04/23/el-tribunal-supremo-electoral-y-el-ministerio-de-relaciones-exteriores-amplian-opciones-para-votar-fuera-de-guatemala/ (accessed 2026-05-15)
• 2027 electoral calendar: Prensa Libre citing TSE schedule (first round June 2027, second round August 2027, authorities installed 14 January 2028)
• Last verified: 2026-05-15

Related pages

• DPI from USA — Get or renew your DPI at a Guatemalan consulate
• Passport from USA — Get your Guatemalan passport (the new alternate ID for voting)
• Replace lost DPI from USA — If your DPI is lost or stolen before the election
• Dual citizenship Guatemala + USA — Bilateral framework for US-naturalized Guatemalans
• Find your consulate — State-by-state lookup of nearest consular site
• DPI desde USA (ES) — Same DPI procedure in Spanish
• Pasaporte desde USA (ES) — Passport procedure in Spanish
• All Guatemalan consulates in USA — Full directory